


You Took My Heart By Surprise

by howlingsaturn



Category: 9-1-1: Lone Star (TV 2020)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, TK gets shot and Carlos worries
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-27
Updated: 2020-02-27
Packaged: 2021-02-27 20:27:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,137
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22921750
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/howlingsaturn/pseuds/howlingsaturn
Summary: "T.K. are you hit?"It takes him a second to comprehend what was said and then he frowns. Is he? He looks up at his father's wide eyes and the terror he sees in them is answer enough.// based on the promo for 1x08 "Monster Inside"
Relationships: Carlos Reyes (9-1-1 Lone Star)/TK Strand, Carlos Reyes/TK Strand
Comments: 27
Kudos: 447





	You Took My Heart By Surprise

**Author's Note:**

> trigger warning: guns and gunshots, the shooter wasn't okay with a break up

> _oh darling,_
> 
> _if only you would know_
> 
> _how much my heart aches_
> 
> _when you're not around_

  
  


Waking up that morning with sunlight warming his face, T.K. didn't expect the day to end with him getting shot. 

They were called to an apartment building in the early afternoon, apparently there were several calls directed to that area reporting screaming and other odd noises. Someone even swore they saw a woman about to jump from her balcony. 

The police has already secured the perimeter when the 126 arrive at the scene. Carlos gives T.K. a small nod, opting for a professional greeting, while T.K. winks at him, intent to rile him up a bit. He sees him roll his eyes from afar and his facade breaks a little, making way for a soft smile. T.K. feels like he's won a gold star.

Their focus is redirected when they hear screaming coming from somewhere above them. The team moves quickly and T.K.'s heart stutters in his chest when he sees a young woman clinging to the side of her balcony. He squints his eyes and it looks like she's terrified rather than suicidal. He exchanges a look with his dad and then they're moving.

They split their team in half, one making their way up towards the apartment while the other prepares a rescue net in case the woman loses her hold.

When they knock on the door and no one responds, T.K. forces the door open. 

It happens so quickly that T.K. doesn't even register the pain. There's a deafening gunshut that makes T.K. flinch and then he's pulled backwards, colliding with someone else's body while more shots ring out. He hears screaming, his vision is blurring around the edges and then there's Paul's voice right next to his ear. 

"T.K. are you hit?" 

It takes him a second to comprehend what was said and then he frowns. _Is he?_ He looks up at his father's wide eyes and the terror he sees in them is answer enough. _Damn it._

There's movement, a radio cackling somewhere to his right and while he hears the sound of muffled voices, he doesn't understand a thing. There's a sudden pressure on his abdomen and he screams out in pain. _Holy shit, fuck_. 

His body tenses and something pulls at his shoulder and he swears he sees stars. There's only white noise in his ear and he desperately tries to get some air into his lungs but every breath he takes makes him cry out more. He's sure he blacks out for a good few seconds. But the pain doesn't stop once he's out and so he blinks his eyes open with the groan, reaching for the hand that is pressed against his side. He wraps his trembling fingers around a sharp wrist but he's not strong enough to pull it away. 

"Stop," he blurts out, his voice barely rising above a whisper, "s'hurts." 

There's a rough palm on his cheek and he forces himself to focus but the face in front of him just won't clear. 

"It's okay," the moving shadow says and something about its voice makes him breathe a little easier, "We're gonna get you out of there, son. I promise. Just stay with me, alright?" 

T.K. feels a pull and the sudden movement of his body rips another scream from his throat. Sleep extends its crawls and reaches for him, the darkness behind his eyes growing thicker with each passing second and T.K. opens his mouth to warn them or apologize for not being able to stay awake, he doesn't even know himself, but all that comes out is a pained choking noise.

He doesn't know how people do it, how they can force themselves to stay conscious in a moment like this and even though T.K. knows how crucial it is to his survival, he can't. _He can't._ And maybe it's because he's simply not strong enough or because something inside of him tells him that it's better this way, he can't keep his eyes open any longer. He feels pain and fear and regret and longing and then he feels nothing at all.

&&&

"He's out," Paul says worriedly and they move immediately, carefully carrying him out of the building. Carlos sees them coming his way and he hurries to meet them. 

"What happened? We heard gunshots, is everyone o-" The sentence gets lost somewhere in his throat when he sees T.K. lying limp and pale in his father's arms. 

"We need an ambulance," Owen yells and his voice is stern as he walks by, the terror in his eyes breaking the facade, "The shooter is still in the building but we don't think anyone else got hurt." 

Carlos watches as they put T.K. down on the grass, Michelle tending to him immediately. He's supposed to make a call, ring in the gunshots and ask for backup but he finds himself unable to move. It's only when one of his colleagues grabs him by the shoulders and turns him around that he comes back to himself. 

"You can't help him," she says and the weight of her words make his stomach twist painfully, "But what you can do is make sure this shooter doesn't hurt anybody else. Understood?" 

Carlos nods a little numbly and tries to focus back on the situation, on his _job_. He stares right ahead, making plans with his colleagues and talking to his superiors. He has to force himself not to turn back around and look for T.K.'s body because if he does, he will hurry to his side and not leave until he opens his eyes again. He can't risk it. There are other people's lives on the line here, the shooter needs to be stopped immediately. So that's what he does. 

It turns out the shooter and the woman on the balcony used to be a couple and the guy wasn't happy with the break up. He was completely out of it, high on drugs and adrenaline and his ex girlfriend tried to hide on the balcony when he drew his gun. He was frantic and one of Carlos' colleagues was forced to fire a shot. The guy had dropped the weapon with a shout of pain and was promptly arrested. The poor woman was rescued and Carlos was glad to realise that she didn't have any injuries. 

Everything seemed to calm down so Carlos stays behind to reassure the neighbors and get everything back in order until his phone vibrates with a new message. He reaches into his pocket and unlocks the screen. 

[Michelle] 

_They had to perform an emergency surgery. He's still_ _in. You okay?_

A headache begins to form in his temples and he rubs a cold hand over his face. Looking back on his phone, he quickly types out two messages.

_Everything's under control._

_Where is he?_

Michelle sends him the location of the hospital immediately and Carlos doesn't think twice. He wraps up at the scene and walks over to his car. Before he can open the door someone calls out for him and he turns around to see Anna, the colleague who helped him focus earlier, jog towards him. 

"You heard anything?" She asks in a way of greeting and Carlos shrugs.

"He's in surgery right now." 

"I'm sorry," Anna says sincerely. "Are you driving there now?" 

Carlos just nods, "Unless you want me to-"

"Nonsense," she raises her hand and shakes her head, "You go look after him, I'll take care of the rest." 

Carlos smiles at her and reaches out a hand in gratitude. 

"Thank you, Anna. For everything."

She shakes his hand, gives him a small smile and turns back around. Carlos doesn't lose any more time.

&&&

When he arrives at the hospital Michelle is already waiting for him in the lobby. 

"Come on," she says after she's pulled him into a tight hug, "let's sit. It's gonna take a while."

They end up sitting near T.K.'s team and Carlos averts his eyes immediately, not in the mood for surprised stares or hollow expressions.

After a few minutes, someone clasps his shoulder and sits down next to him and Carlos can barely contain a flinch. He looks up to find Paul smiling at him, tired and frightened, and Carlos can't help but send a reassuring smile back. Paul is probably the only one who knows about the depth of their relationship and Carlos is surprisingly relieved that he's here. 

"He's gonna be okay," Paul says and he sounds so confident that Carlos can't help but mirror the feeling. They sit in silence after that, taking comfort in each other's presence.

An hour later, Owen walks into the waiting area with a tired smile on his face. He gives Michelle a quick grateful look while the team gathers around him, pulling him into a big hug. 

"He's out of the woods," he reports and everyone breathes a sigh of relief. "He's still unconscious and needs rest so you can't see him yet but I wanna thank you all for being here. T.K. is gonna be just fine." 

&&&

Carlos opens the door to his home in trance, every step making his tired muscles ache. He undresses and stumbles into the shower, trying to wash away the cold that has seeped into his body but his mind just won't calm. 

He longs for T.K.'s smile, for a bruising touch or a soft spoken word but there's only silence. 

_He's okay, he's alive,_ repeats like a mantra in his head and he shivers, thinking about how close he was to losing him. They haven't had enough time, he thinks, barely even explored this new and exciting relationship. Carlos vows to himself that he's not gonna give up on T.K., no matter how many times he's gonna be pushed away. He's worth it, worth all the heartache and frustration that might follow. So with a promising future in mind, Carlos finally falls asleep. 

&&&

He's at the hospital the fourth day in a row now, sitting down on the uncomfortable chairs in the waiting room after he's finished his shift. Sometimes he'd be there in the early morning hours after a night shift or he'd arrive late in the evening and spend his night watching people come and go. Sometimes he'd talk to Michelle or Paul, other times they'd spend their time in companionable silence. He's even gotten to know Marjan, Mateo and Judd a little and he finds he quite enjoys their company. 

Today he arrives in the afternoon, dragging his exhausted body to his chosen chair right below the big window when someone calls out for him. 

He straightens his back when Owen waves him over to where he rest of the team is gathered and Carlos greets him respectfully. 

"Oh please," Owen says with a raised brow, "Call me Owen." 

Carlos nods and scratches the back of his head in a nervous manner, eyes flicking between Owen and the others.

"How is he?" He asks and Owen's face breaks out into a grin. 

"He's fully awake now." 

The statement makes Carlos' stomach flutter and he finds himself smiling before he can help it. 

"Actually," Owen adds, "He's been asking about you." 

"Me?" 

"Yeah you," Paul perks up with a grin, "Or do you happen to know another tall and handsome cop from Texas who gets to call T.K. by his full name?" 

Carlos blushes profoundly, rolling his eyes for good measure but luckily for him Owen saves him from further embarrassment. 

"Come on now," he says as he brings his hands together, "I'll show you the way." 

Carlos avoids looking at everyone else, staring straight ahead and allowing the giddy feeling in his stomach to spread. T.K. asked for him. That has got to mean something right? 

Carlos is lost in thought and almost walks into Owen when he stops in front of T.K.'s room. He gives him a knowing smile, clasps his shoulder with a small squeeze and then he's gone, walking back the way they came. 

Carlos looks back to the door, exhaling. He tentively raises a hand and knocks twice before he reaches for the handle and pushes the door open.

T.K.'s eyes are on him immediately and the smile he sends his way makes Carlos' chest ache pleasantly. 

"Hey you," he murmurs as he slowly makes his way over to him. He's still a little pale and he looks like he could sleep for another few days but he doesn't seem to be in any pain and Carlos is more than grateful for that. 

T.K. offers out a hand then, inviting Carlos to sit on the side of the bed. T.K. tilts his head, his cheek slightly smudged against the pillow, a bashful smile on his lips. He murmurs a soft "Hi", his voice rough from disuse and he looks so endearing that Carlos can't help but lean forward and press a chaste kiss to his forehead. 

There's a hint of pink flushing high on his cheek when Carlos pulls back to look at him and something about that makes relief flood through Carlos' body. Images of a pale and lifeless body flash before his eyes and his eyes begin to sting. He reaches out a hand, gently mapping T.K.'s face with his fingertips as he takes him in and memorises each and every one of his features.

"I'm okay," T.K. whispers into the silence between them, tugging Carlos' hand away from his face to clasp it between his own. 

"God Tyler," Carlos shakes his head a little, heart skipping a beat with the terror he still feels, "You scared me bad. I was so worried, I--"

"I know, I'm sorry. But it's not like I was planning to get shot."

Carlos sighs, rolling his eyes and squeezing his hand. T.K. grins at him and Carlos mirrors it, sending him a warm smile that probably gives away the depth of his feelings but right now, he doesn't even care.

They talk in hushed voices until Carlos has to go back to work and T.K. is a little disappointed he has to leave so soon. Something about being with Carlos is so different from what he's used to. It's easy, somehow, despite the odd start they had. He trusts him, more than he ever trusted someone he's only just met and something about how he looks at him makes T.K. want to be honest. 

Carlos rises from the bed with a regretful smile, promising him to stop by tomorrow and T.K.'s stomach drops. He really doesn't want him to leave.

"Hey Carlos?" 

Carlos turns back around with a raised brow and T.K. smiles, lightly tapping his cheek in invitation. Carlos huffs out a laugh, rolling his eyes for the second time that day. He strides back over though, bracketing T.K.'s head with his arms as he leans close. He tilts his head to the right, intent to press a lingering kiss against his cheek but T.K. moves at the last second and Carlos misses his goal, finding his lips instead. 

"Really?" 

T.K. just smiles at him and he looks so victorious that Carlos promptly kisses the smug smile off of his face. He parts T.K.'s lips expertly and pulls back just as quickly, leaving T.K. chasing after him with a pout. He gives him a wink and a blinding smile and then he's gone. T.K can't stop grinning for the rest of the day. 

&&&

As promised, Carlos visits him the next day and the day after that and every other day that T.K. is forced to recover at the hospital. When he's finally released, Carlos offers to take him home and T.K. is surprised by how quickly his dad agreed to the change of plans. 

He's just getting dressed, struggling to pull his arm through the shirt as he's still sore, when there's a loud knock in the door. 

It opens a second later and the smile Carlos' wears falls a little.

"What are you doing?" He hurries over and stills his arms, holding them gentle but firm. "You're gonna hurt yourself."

T.K. huffs, "It can't get any worse now can it?" 

Carlos levels him with a glare and reaches for the shirt, carefully prying it off his shoulders. 

"On with the bad one, off with the good," he explains as he slowly pulls the shirt over T.K.'s arm, mindful of the thick bandages on his abdomen. When he reaches the shoulder, he takes a second to stroke his thumb over the bandage there, frowning. 

"You just had to get shot twice huh tiger? One wasn't enough for you?" 

He tries to be funny but it comes out flat and T.K. purses his lips, raising his good shoulder in what Carlos supposes is a shrug. It looks a little pathetic but he isn't going to tell him that. 

"You know I don't do things halfway," he argues and the humour is lost on him too. 

Carlos watches him intently, finally tugging the shirt over the bullet wound. He helps T.K. twist his good arm so that he can reach into the sleeves and once the shirt is secured over both of his shoulders, Carlos redirects his gaze. His hand drifts lower, coming to a short stop on T.K.'s chest before it trails lower still. His eyes follow its path to the injury on his lower stomach and Carlos feels overwhelmingly helpless all of the sudden. He's in way over his head. 

"You could've died," he says, eyes focused on the gunshot, "I could've lost you."

"Carlos," T.K. calls out and the softness in his voice makes Carlos' heart ache. 

"I don't know what I would've done if you had--" 

His voice breaks and he furiously blinks away the tears that begin to well in his eyes. 

"You'll never have to find out," T.K. promises and he reaches out a hand to tilt Carlos' face up. His eyes are clear, his voice calm and collected, and Carlos takes it all in. 

"I'm okay," T.K. says and with the way his lips move against Carlos' own, Carlos believes it.

"Take me home," he pleads against his mouth and who is Carlos to deny him. 

_Home_ , he thinks, _is_ _where the heart is._

And looking back into T.K.'s bright eyes, Carlos sees their future clearly. He realises then that his heart hasn't been his for a while now and he doesn't mind at all. 


End file.
